Unrealistic Expectations
by defying3reason
Summary: Albus, Scorpius and Rose have become an unlikely trio of besties at Hogwarts, creating tensions with their families and romantic tensions with each other. Update: Albus and Scorpius get in trouble/Teddy has a rough day at work
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Albus was sitting in the library at a table with Rose, imposing stacks of books between them but also providing cover. He'd long since stopped working on schoolwork and was trying to compose a letter without anyone else seeing. Cautiously, he peered around the stack of books to check that she was distracted (scratching her chin thoughtfully with the end of her quill and gazing off into space while contemplating the next line of her essay: distracted), then scribbled his signature.

So far he had a heavily blotted mess full of scratched out lines.

_Teddy,_

_Hi, hope you're well. I'm not. I mean I am. It's not serious. I need to talk to you, but I'm alright. Can you come by the first Hogsmeade weekend, butterbeers on me? It's in two weeks._

_Albus_

He read it back a few times, then decided it wasn't getting any less awkward and shoved it in his bag. He'd head by the Owlery in the morning and send it off before class.

"Hey Albus, do you think we'll need to be able to do the teapot spell with the turtles as well as the slugs on the test? I think professor Trinity was really disappointed with the class. She didn't seem to think we could handle animals more complicated than slugs."

"Oh what do you care Weasley, you can transfigure animals with spines," Scorpius announced, seating himself at Rose's side. She stuck her tongue out at him, but looked pleased with his observation. "I just saw her on the way here and I've been schmoozing the good professor and feeling her out. I think the test is going to be mostly practical with only ten percent theory or so."

"Excellent!" Albus said, relief washing over him. "I can do all the spells, I'm just rubbish at explaining why."

"I wouldn't say I'm rubbish at it, but I much prefer casting spells to talking about them," Scorpius agreed. "Did you do Longbottom's essay yet, speaking of subjects that are better performed than expounded on?"

"Just finished," Rose announced, doing a grand flourish on her last line. "I wrote about the magical applications of opiates. Dodgy subject, but I'm hoping he'll see that as daring. Professor Longbottom's so hard to impress."

"At least you've got the advantage of being family friends. I snap at Father all the time. 'Why'd you have to bully the hardest professor at Hogwarts? Did you somehow sense he was going to become a teacher and want your progeny to suffer from your stupid grudge?' Urgh. The man drives me to distraction sometimes."

"Is he still mad we're friends?" Rose asked. It was a favorite query of hers.

Rose and Albus, being cousins, had been friends practically since they were born, Scorpius Malfoy joining their clique sometime during the middle of first year. He was the only other student in their year to be as much an insufferable overachiever as Rose, and the two of them were in friendly competition with each other while Albus tagged along by virtue of a genuine love of learning separate from grades. The friendship irritated Scorpius and Rose's fathers to no end.

"Actually, I think he's started to come around on the subject. Which is to say, instead of referring to you as the spawn of an oaf of a blood traitor and a bucktoothed know it all M dash dash blood, he's not talking about you at all."

"Well that is an improvement. My dad still calls you ferret junior."

Scorpius let out a haughty sniff and reached for one of the book stacks. "So what's all this?"

"For Binns' essay. I know he assigns the dullest prompts, but I'm determined to make Goblin Rebellions interesting somehow. I've been at the stacks half the night, and I'm sure I've found some books that aren't going to be completely dry," Rose said hopefully. Scorpius scanned the spines of the books, reading each title with an assessing look in his shrewd grey eyes.

"Teddy says that even dull prompts can be spun into something worth knowing. I wrote to him about the essay we've got on the Goblin Rebellion of 1347, and he said I should cast it in the light of the black death," Albus chimed in. "He was saying that even though there was a cure for plague, it still affected wizarding society because it changed muggle social structures and the ideas were picked up by the goblins."

Rose scratched her quill against her chin again, contemplating Albus' words.

"That does sound loads more interesting than just talking about Grodin the Gangly or Nervin the Noxious," Scorpius said.

"Right, but how would you write that essay?" Rose wondered. "That's social history, and it involves muggles on top of it. I mean, you could talk to professor Clearwater and see what the Muggle Studies classes have for resources, but I'm not sure she'd be much help. I don't know if you could write an essay like that and cover yourself enough to get an O. Binns is such a hard grader, and he doesn't like it when people are, well…"

"Independently analyzing the subject matter?" Scorpius asked. Rose nodded.

"Free thinkers?" Albus added.

"Show basic competence with more than regurgitation?" Scorpius finished, a wicked grin on his face. Rose snorted, and Albus burst into giggles, to the chagrin of the librarian.

"What time is it?" Rose asked, noticing that the glare from Miss Astarte had been particularly pointed.

"Library's closing in ten minutes. We'd best head back to our dorms," Albus said, looking at his watch.

Scorpius sighed. "I would get here just as you were finishing."

"Scorpius, the library's closing," Rose said, amused. "It's not really our choice."

"I know, I know. My own fault for being a Quidditch player. These infernal practices are eating up far too much of my time. I swear, Zabini plans them like that on purpose."

"Still not enjoying yourself?" Albus asked, though he already knew the answer. Scorpius had tried out for the Slytherin house team every year since he'd come to Hogwarts, and he'd finally made it their third year, which was incidentally the same year Albus' brother had managed a spot for himself on the Gryffindor team. Unlike James though, who loved Quidditch with the same ardent passion as most of his family, Scorpius hated Quidditch and only played because his father insisted.

"If it wasn't for Father, I'd snap my Nimbus in half and never give it another thought. As is, I've made a commitment to the team that will only be broken by serious injury. Do you think if I jeer the Gryffindor beaters enough next match I can provoke them into giving me a concussion?"

"Scorpius, don't say that! It's terrible," Rose gasped. "You shouldn't go into a game _wanting_ to be injured. Just try talking to your dad again. I'm sure you can get him to understand."

Scorpius snorted. "Clearly you don't know anything about Draco Malfoy. Are you done packing up? We'd better get moving."

"Right, right," Rose said heavily, shouldering her overburdened bag and following after the boys. They chatted a bit more about the upcoming Transfiguration test before going their separate ways at the corridor leading to either the Entrance Hall or Gryffindor Tower, depending. Rose went for Gryffindor Tower, and the boys continued for the Entrance Hall.

"You know what I hate the most about Quidditch?" Scorpius asked, as though they'd been talking about it the entire time. Albus shook his head. "I hate how everyone treats it like it matters so much, instead of being the diversion it is. I mean, take the game that's coming up on Saturday. Because you're in Slytherin and you're friends with me, everyone will expect you to cheer for our house."

"Mm hmm," Albus readily agreed. They turned the corner for the stairs leading to the dungeon, nodding vaguely at a school ghost as they passed.

"But your brother's playing chaser for Gryffindor. Half of your family's flown for Gryffindor, so really people might expect you to cheer for them instead. And there's going to be a lot of social obligation to go one way or the other, but it shouldn't matter. It's just a stupid game."

Albus paled. For some reason, Scorpius' point had never occurred to him. "Oh no, Jamey is going to expect me to cheer for him instead! I am his brother."

"Right, well I don't care who you cheer for, so you should just join Rose in the Gryffindor section. I promise I won't take it personally."

"The other Slytherins might."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes, arching an elegant silver blond brow in confusion. "So? Sod them."

Albus shook his head. "It's not that easy. You're not the one who gets picked on."

"Right, because I don't _care_. They know they can't get away with it. You on the other hand…the only reason anyone hesitates to goad such an easy target is because they know your thug of a brother will make them regret it. You know, if he finds out."

"Scorpius, can we not talk about this again?" Albus pleaded. He didn't need to be reminded his friend thought he was weak and useless. Scoffing once more, Scorpius obligingly fell silent and didn't speak again until it was time to give the password. "Craft."

Scorpius scanned the common room, but followed after Albus when he noticed the other teen heading for their room. "Going to bed already?"

"I think I'm going to read for a bit first. Why? Did you want to play chess or something?" Albus asked.

"No, not really. Just thought we might spend some time together since I missed out on revising with you and Rose because of stupid Quidditch."

"Oh. Well w-we can hang out. If you want," Albus offered.

Scorpius smiled, and Albus felt his innards squirm uncomfortably. "It's alright Albie, you can go read. You don't want to hear me whine about Quidditch and Father anymore tonight, I'm sure."

"I don't mind. Um, I mean, well goodnight Scorpius."

"Goodnight Albus."

* * *

><p>The next morning Albus added another line to his letter before sending it off.<p>

_Please write back soon._

It was a few days before his answer returned. Albus was eating breakfast with Rose and Scorpius at Hagrid's garden. They usually grabbed food at the Great Hall and ate somewhere on the grounds when the weather was nice enough for it, a necessity if they wanted to spend time with friends in different houses. Even though things weren't as strained between the Hogwarts Houses as they had been in their parents' day, a Gryffindor still didn't sit with the Slytherins or vice versa in the Great Hall.

Albus' owl landed neatly on the garden wall and immediately started pressing his beak against Albus' toast. "Agrippa, no! Let me at least have the letter first."

"Is that Teddy's writing?" Rose asked, craning her neck to inspect the letter tied to Agrippa's leg.

"Yep. I wrote him a few days ago."

"More essay advice?" Scorpius asked.

"No, something else. It's not important really." Albus quickly read the note back, then shoved it in his pocket. His friends regarded him expectantly: Teddy Lupin was obviously a family friend of Rose's as well, and a relative of Scorpius'. Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks had mended fences after the second war, an awkward, painful process but one that had eventually born fruit. Though Scorpius and Teddy weren't exactly close, he did like hearing stories about his eccentric second cousin.

"So what did Teddy write about?" Rose pressed, when no answer from Albus was forthcoming.

"He answered what I wrote him about," Albus said evasively.

"Right. Which was…?" Rose pressed.

"He obviously doesn't want to talk about it Rose. I suppose he's mentoring you about something personal?" Scorpius guessed. Feeling a sense of relief, Albus nodded. Scorpius sighed. "Wish I had someone to do that for me. The closest I have is my grandmother, but it's not quite the same as someone like Teddy. Closer in age, and the same gender and all that."

"You could talk to Teddy you know. He likes you," Rose insisted.

"That's only because he doesn't know any better," Scorpius returned, smiling flippantly at her. She rolled her eyes and took another bite of toast.

After they finished eating they poked into Hagrid's house to say hello, then hurried off for their first class. Albus was in a decidedly good mood. Teddy had promised to meet him, insisted on paying for the butterbeers himself, and, making Albus wonder (not for the first time) if Teddy wasn't secretly a Seer, written comforting words about the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch rivalry.

The match on Saturday wasn't even that awkward, at least not until the end. Albus did end up sitting with Rose, but he wore Slytherin colors. They cheered for Jamey and Scorpius both, yelling their support whenever their friends did something worth applauding rather than solely for one team or the other, which seemed an acceptable choice to their peers, though no one else was doing it. Lily was decked out in Gryffindor scarlet and gold, and occasionally shot Albus a dirty look for his emerald and silver, and Rose one as well for sitting with him.

Slytherin won, but it was by a very narrow margin. "It's too bad Scorpius doesn't actually like Quidditch. He's rather good at it," Rose commented as they left the stands.

"Mm. He's a natural, just like Lily. I'm sure she'll be on the team next year too."

"You should try out you know. You're not bad on a broom."

Albus laughed. "Oh yes, because my relationship with James and Lily isn't complicated enough without throwing Quidditch into it. I think Lily's going to try out for beater. I do not want to face my little sister when she's got bludgers to work with."

"Fair enough. Dad's a little disappointed that Hugo and I aren't pestering him for broomsticks or trying out, but Mum keeps yelling at him to leave us alone. It's not that I don't like Quidditch…I just don't much fancy the chance to make a fool of myself and become a pariah if I have a bad game."

Albus nodded, since he felt much the same. They met Scorpius as he was leaving the changing rooms and congratulated him on his win, which he looked thoroughly nonplussed about.

"Want to hit up the library with me? Or do you think we're expected at some sort of celebration in the common room?" Scorpius asked, turning to look at Albus, who shrugged.

"Probably are, come to think of it," Albus murmured vaguely. Not one for crowds, he thought the library sounded more pleasant in the wake of a Quidditch victory too.

"Oh, that's real nice."

They turned around to see James scowling at them. "Off to congratulate ferret the younger, and never give a thought to your own brother. No wonder they stuck you in suck-ass-Slytherin."

"Really Jamey, that's uncalled for," Rose said disapprovingly, while Albus hung his head, hopefully hiding his reddened cheeks. Scorpius moved in front of him protectively, with a death grip on his wand. A few other students were watching them from a distance, no doubt hoping there would be a fight.

"What are you going to do Rosie? Write to my mum or something?" James taunted. "You know what, I'll save you the trouble and tell her myself. I mean, she'll want to know that Albus picked his house over his family, which was what we said we'd never do if we got sorted differently. Remember Al?"

"Back off Potter. He'd be congratulating you instead if you'd actually managed to win," Scorpius said, clearly not realizing how his words sounded to the other teen, who was smarting from the loss. James stormed over to Scorpius and shoved him.

"Want to say that again Malfoy?"

"What? You lost," Scorpius said simply, since it was the truth. Rose shoved her way between them.

"James, go cool off! None of us have done anything wrong, and we're very sorry Gryffindor lost, okay?" She snapped.

"He's not!" James yelled, motioning towards Scorpius.

"You're right, he's completely apathetic!" Rose yelled. "He wouldn't have cared either way! You, on the other hand, are being an ass and I _will_ tell Auntie Ginny, so unless you want another howler you ought to lay off!"

With one last sneer, James took off and went to commiserate with his housemates. Rose gingerly touched Albus' shoulder and he flinched away from her.

"Your brother really is an ass," Scorpius said. He was gazing after James' retreating form, a haughty scowl on his face.

Albus laughed without humor. "Yep. He's probably right though. I should have found him first and said…something. I don't even know what. I don't get sports."

"Sentiments I think we can all relate to. I think you boys ought to skive off the victory party," Rose suggested.

"Library?" Scorpius asked brightly. Albus and Rose laughed at him.

"I was thinking we might visit Hagrid," Rose said, still giggling.

"Oh, right. I guess that'd be okay too."

_A/N: This is my first attempt at a longer Next-Gen fic (I normally write with the Marauders). I've read a bit of the extra stuff Rowling has let slip in interviews, but I'm sure I've missed a lot of things so if I do something differently from what she's said, please be patient with me. I promise not to knowingly go against anything canonical though (that said, a different interpretation from prevailing fandom/an individual reader's interpretation isn't necessarily wrong and I won't apologize for it if I do something somewhat out of left field). Reviews will be greatly appreciated!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Where to first? Wheezes, Honeydukes? Café Bell?" Scorpius asked.

"We should at least see who's working at the Wheezes, though I'm pretty sure Uncle George is at the Diagon Alley branch," Rose said, gazing up the street at the rows of shops. Several of them had banners and signs out welcoming Hogwarts students with discounts and sales.

Albus frowned, and glanced at his watch. "I'll bet you anything Jamey's going to the Wheezes first thing, so can we do that last?"

"I see nothing at all wrong with a course of action designed to avoid James S. Potter, but Albie, are you alright? Your siblings aren't really upset with you over the Quidditch game are they?" Scorpius asked, looking genuinely concerned and possibly a bit guilty. Albus wondered if Scorpius might volunteer to intentionally lose in the future for Albus' sake (not that he would let him, but it was tempting to think his friend would make that kind of sacrifice for him). Rose stopped scanning the shops and turned her attention to her cousin as well.

"Lily was only peeved that I wore Slytherin colors while I was sitting in the Gryffindor section. She said if I'd sat somewhere more neutral, like with the Scamanders in the Ravenclaw section, she wouldn't have minded. But Jamey is and continues to be a gigantic ass."

"We _should_ sit with the Scamanders next time. They're nice enough," Rose said thoughtfully. "And yes, James is turning positively insufferable. Do you think he's alright?"

The boys regarded her blankly. She let out an irritable huff.

Scorpius decided to speak up. "Rose, your cousin is a socially privileged, attractive, athletic honors student, yet somehow also a rebellious and moody bad boy. That he's _decided_ to also be a dingbat is just an innate character flaw. I don't think we can blame it on external circumstances."

"What could be wrong?" Albus asked. "I mean, other than him being sore about Quidditch?"

Scorpius crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at Albus and Rose. "Look, Albus and his brother both hail from the same background and yet they possess remarkably different dispositions. Ergo, James is just a jerk, all on his own, without mitigating factors that absolve him of responsibility for dickishness." His tone was very final. He seemed to be taking offense at Rose's suggestion. She, in turn, looked irritated with him.

"Listen _Scorps_," She said, emphasizing the nickname. Scorpius hated his name, but he hated any attempt to shorten it even more. "I've known Jamey my whole life, and he's not actually a total loss. And during the hols he's fine. Something about school just gets under his skin and makes him…well, it makes him unpleasant. I'm getting a bit worried about him. I've talked to Lily, and she's noticed it too."

"He does stick up for me, even though he picks on me sometimes too," Albus pointed out. Scorpius muttered something about the frequency of 'sometimes'. Albus felt conflicted. He didn't like the thought that James was hiding something important from them. "Anyway, Rose is right. He's not always a jerk."

"If it is related to school then it's probably just the different house conflict. Generally speaking, the student body doesn't make it easy for Gryffindors and Slytherins to get along," Scorpius observed, now seeing the problem in the light of an intellectual puzzle and finding it more agreeable to discuss. "Especially your brother's year. They really take the house rivalry thing to a ridiculous level."

Rose glanced at her watch. "We'd better figure out where we're going and get a move on. We can finish this discussion at the Three Broomsticks or Café Bell or something."

"Agreed. Honeydukes?" Scorpius suggested.

Then Albus was suddenly tackled from behind and pulled into a fierce hug. Scorpius had his wand trained on the "assailant" before he fully processed what was going on, but Rose doubled over laughing at his terror stricken face.

It was Teddy hugging Albus, pale face apple cheeked from the wind and temporarily aqua eyes shining with laughter. He was wearing his hair long and maroon, and it whipped wildly around him along with the frayed old traveling cloak he'd inherited from his father. The dull earth tones of the cloak didn't match a single thing in his wardrobe, but he wore it constantly like a badge of honor regardless.

"Hi Teddy," Albus said, giving off a patiently suffering air.

"'Lo Al. Missed you bunches." Teddy released his prisoner, then bounded over to Rose and bestowed an oddly formal kiss to her hand. "M'lady." Lastly he nodded at Scorpius. "What up Cuz?"

"Hi," Scorpius replied, looking a bit unsure of himself. He was too stiff and formal to interact easily with his cousin, but Teddy understood that there was no ill will in the discomfort and always acted like himself, hoping that Scorpius would eventually get used to him and play along like the extended Weasley family did.

"Is it okay if I steal Al for a bit? He requested some alone time for my sage counsel."

Rose giggled. "Sage counsel? From you? Didn't you tell my dad that it'd be great fun to get Mum a steam vacuum for their anniversary?"

"To be fair, I didn't actually suggest it, I was just pointing out that sometimes Muggle labor saving devices are better than spells. Case in point, Grams loved her steam vac. But Grams is a nutter who likes housekeeping products as presents. Ron really should have known better."

"Agreed," Albus and Scorpius said in unison, then smirked.

Albus waved goodbye to his friends and followed Teddy into the Three Broomsticks. They got a booth in the back, ordered their butterbeers, and then Albus was pierced with an expectant stare. "Alright Al, spill away, or shall I make small talk about work first?"

"No, you don't have to, um…so right, I think I'm queer." He risked a glance across the table, noted that Teddy showed no signs of judgment, and returned his gaze to his clasped hands. "And I think I'm in love with my best friend. It's a bit awkward."

"Mm. Bet Draco would love that."

Albus looked up in a panic. "You don't think anyone can tell, do you?"

"Trust me Al, Draco would be the last person to find out even if you ever did interact with him. The man's a bit dense sometimes. Hasn't even noticed how much Scorpius has grown away from him since he became a moody teen. But that's his issue, not yours. So let's shelve the 'in love with Scorpius' thing for a moment. How do you feel about being gay? You alright with it and everything?"

Albus shrugged. "I guess. Bit scared to tell Mum and Dad. Do you think they'll freak?"

Teddy gaped at him. "Am I the first person you've told?" Albus nodded. "Oh Al…wow. I mean, I'd hoped you thought we were that kind of close, but…thanks. It means a lot, I mean, you knowing that you can come to me with anything."

"Teddy, stop," Albus mumbled, looking down at his now-wringing hands. Teddy had a tendency to make a big fuss about things sometimes. Rose said he just valued things differently that she and Albus took for granted, and that if Albus watched his father closely, he'd see some of the same emotional overreactions, just expressed more quietly.

"Sorry, sorry. Alright, I don't think you have to worry about your parents. They love you. And they were practically the only people who didn't give me a hard time when I did some of my own experimenting. Almost everyone told me I was only trying to be gay because I was so messed up over Victoire dumping me."

Albus nodded. He remembered Lily and James coming to that conclusion. Rose had wondered about it too.

"I know Mum and Dad didn't care that _you_ dated a bloke, but, well…it'd be different with me, wouldn't it?"

"Look, I'm obviously not your mum or dad, so I can't say for sure, but I think they just want you to be happy. Ron might say something awkward trying to prove that he's okay with it, George'll try to fix you up with one of his employees at some point, you know, when you're older…and your grandmother might cry but that's only because Molly thinks it's still like when she was a girl and her brother got beat up and almost killed and all that."

"I didn't know one of Gran's brothers was gay," Albus said, surprised.

"Pseudo-family secret. No one really talks about it. But yeah, your family's pretty awesome, so I wouldn't worry. And if anyone doe get in a huff, they'll just have to get over it because _there's nothing wrong with you_," Teddy said, oddly serious and determined. Albus nodded by instinct, a bit stunned to see the easy going young man look so aggressive about anything.

"I, er, never thought there was."

"Are you going to tell anyone at school?" Teddy asked, manner shifting back to normal in record time.

"Nope. I already get picked on enough for being a swot, thanks. Oh, and for being the only Slytherin child of the most famous Gryffindor like ever."

"Right, sounds like that's for the best. You can always come out when you graduate. Course that makes dating tricky."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

"Ah yes, you and my ickle cousin. I didn't really think Scorpius would be your type. He's kind of…"

"Perfect," Albus said dreamily, provoking a laugh out of Teddy. Albus stuck his tongue out. He could feel his face going red.

"Never mind, you've got it bad! Oh that's too cute."

"Teddy, I'm almost fifteen. Can you not call me cute?"

"Sorry, sorry. Well I'd say at this point you should just keep an eye on him and see if you can tell if he's attracted to you at all. You should probably tell Rose and Scorpius you're queer even if you don't tell them anything else. They're your buds and you'll be glad to have their confidence."

Albus nodded. "Yeah…I'm working my way up to that. It's not that I don't want anyone to know, but I think I'd better be careful. So, um, is there any way to feel less awkward when you're around someone you secretly want to snog?"

"Nope. Best just expect to make a prat of yourself from time to time," Teddy said with a grin.

Albus sighed and fiddled with his mug of butterbeer. "All that other advice was great and comforting and all, but I was really hoping you'd have something to say about Scorpius."

Teddy thought for a moment. "If he's worth your attention and your feelings, even if it all stays in the friend zone, then he'll overlook a few soppy smiles and a little discomfort every now and then. Otherwise he's another Victoire and you should run while you have the chance."

"Everything alright Teddy?"

"You know, Jamey laughs when I take shots at Victoire. You boys really are very different people. I assure you Albus, I am perfectly fine, but I think I'll always be a bit bitter about how she ended it." He exhaled sharply, and then muttered darkly about Victoire turning half the Weasleys against him.

Albus frowned and chewed at his lip. It had been incredibly awkward when Teddy and Victoire broke up, not the least because the two had clearly wanted people to take sides even though they'd said otherwise. It had been years and things still weren't comfortable between Teddy and all of the extended Weasley family.

"Well you've counseled me, so I can return the favor for you if you'd like," Albus offered.

Teddy smiled. "I appreciate the offer loads Al, but I don't want to burden you with my drama. Or lack thereof really. I stopped seeing Iggy, and he turned out to be a bigger chunk of my social life than I'd realized. I've pretty much just been hanging out with my grandmother and your parents."

"Oh. Well maybe Uncle George can fix you up," Albus suggested, provoking a laugh from Teddy.

"I've told him to tell me if he hires any cute non-psychos, thanks."

They spent another hour together, chatting and wandering around Hogsmeade. Teddy's eyes kept flickering towards the Shrieking Shack, and deciding that it wasn't having a cheering effect on his friend, Albus steered them towards the other end of the village. A monument to Teddy's dead parents had been erected in front of the Shack, which was now known for what it really was and occasionally used for its original purpose by Hogwarts students who were openly enrolled at the school despite also being werewolves. A lot had changed since the end of the second war regarding werewolf rights, not least of which because of Dolores Umbridge's loss of political status. Teddy's father being recognized as a fallen war hero had helped enormously, and sometimes he was happy to visit the monument and see all the signs of respect shown towards his parents, whom he was intensely proud of. More often than not though, it depressed him.

"Well I should get going. If I spend any longer here, you won't get any time in with your friends before you have to head back to school."

Albus nodded, realizing how late it was getting. "Thanks for coming to see me Teddy. I really appreciate that you make time for me when I need it."

"Hey, one on one time is important." Teddy pulled Albus into another hug, and whispered in his ear. "I'm so proud of you kid. You know who you are, and you're tough as nails in the ways that count. You're going to be fine."

He disapparated before Albus could respond, and he chalked the odd speech up to more of Teddy's quirky emotional outbursts.

* * *

><p>Monday morning, Albus was given reason to suspect that Teddy had snuck off and had a chat with James as well. Rose was eating with some of her female friends in Gryffindor, so Albus and Scorpius claimed a corner of the Slytherin table and ate breakfast there. They were given a wide berth of space by the rest of the Slytherins, not being particularly popular students in their own house (Scorpius was at least respected thanks to his old pureblood family and his Quidditch talent though).<p>

Scorpius was rifling through the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History (now with diagrams of the Chamber of Secrets), which he had propped against a pitcher. His eyes were raking over the pages with such focus that Albus felt able to admire his friend's pleasing features at length without fear of being caught. He was so caught up in trying to figure out if porcelin or ivory was a better descriptor of Scorpius' strikingly perfect complexion that he didn't notice James approach the table until he'd plopped down next to him.

James' sudden weight jostled the bench, knocked the table and sent Scorpius' book clattering shut, also knocking over a goblet of pumpkin juice that spilled spectaculary over the table. Albus snatched the book before the pumpkin juice got onto it, but it spilled over his and Scorpius' laps.

"Oops. Sorry, lemme get that." James waved his wand and the mess cleaned up. Scorpius regarded him with cool detachment, took his book from Albus, and stood up.

"I think I'm done. I'll see you in Herbology Albie."

"Alright. Later Scorpius."

"He's a right ray of sunshine, that kid. I really don't get why you hang out with him, you know," James observed.

"No, I don't expect you would. So what's up?"

"I'm not mad at you."

Albus frowned. "Is that your way of apologizing for hassling me in front of my friends?"

"...sure, let's go with that. I am sorry. I just lost my temper. We're good, right?"

Albus nodded. "Of course. And I'm sorry I offended you. You know I don't really get Quidditch protocol. Lily said that I should sit with the Ravenclaws next time, and I think Rose and I are going to do that."

"Sounds good. I, er, did notice that you two were cheering for me even though I mucked everything up. Thanks."

"You didn't muck up, you were great. I don't think it's your fault the team lost. You really need to get a new keeper."

"I know, right? But Macmillan is friends with Fred and he won't replace him. Next year we'll be brilliant though. Macmillan and Levi will both have graduated, and I think we can get Lily on the team." James grinned, no doubt fantasizing about his ideal Quidditch line up. He didn't seem to notice the odd stares he was attracting from the other end of the table.

"Lily's getting quite popular, isn't she?" Albus observed, warily glancing at his scowling housemates.

"Yep. We'll have to keep an eye on her. I think she's going to turn pretty too, which'll be annoying. I've practiced a few hexes to deter potential admirers."

"Mum's going to kill you. You've heard what she said about what Uncle Ron was like back when they were at school."

"Well Mum doesn't need to find out, now does she? That's where Uncle Ron went wrong. He let Mum know he didn't like her dating," James returned. "Now, there's this really neat jinx I read about. I think it's related to Mum's bat bogey-" He was cut off by half an egg landing on his face. James jumped to his feet with his wand out, while Albus slunk down in his seat, wishing he were invisible. "Oi! Which one of you turds threw that? I'll hex your bollocks off!"

"James! There are teachers right there!" Albus moaned.

"Go back to your own table Gryffin-whore!"

Albus grabbed James' sleeve and tugged insistantly. "Quit it Al, I can't aim at the little snots!"

"Exactly! Jamey, it's not worth it. Please don't, _please_!"

James looked down at Albus' wide, pleading eyes, and begrudginly stowed his wand. He wiped the egg off his face, threw a rude gesture at the Slytherins and then stalked back to the Gryffindor table.

Having lost his appetite, Albus went off in search of Scorpius. It didn't occur to him until much later in the day how much James had gone out of his way for Albus' sake.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Though generally Albus enjoyed hailing from a family of famous war heroes there were some downsides. One of the more prominent ones was Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Not only were Harry and Ginny experts at magical defense, they'd also experienced firsthand the kinds of terrible attacks most people only read about in textbooks, Harry from the time of his birth on. As such, in some ways they were a bit paranoid in wanting to make sure their children were "prepared" for anything, even though there had been peace in the Wizarding World since the end of the second Dark War.

This made Defense a terribly dull subject, because Albus had learned almost all of it before ever arriving at Hogwarts. They were doing a unit on defensive dueling, and Albus only realized that his peers didn't already know the disarming spell or shield charms when the lecture started. This was the only class where Albus was more of a know-it-all than Scorpius, though he tried to be humble about it. Their teacher, professor Irae, picked up on Albus' boredom no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

They didn't get along that well.

"Alright, pair up and practice disarming each other. Do try and actually aim please. A misfiring disarming spell can wreak havoc on an orderly arranged desk. And if anyone breaks a window, you'll stay here with me until you've charmed it back together, am I clear?" Professor Irae shot a dangerous look at Aiden Aberth, who rarely went a practical lesson without destroying something Irae found valuable.

"You'd think he'd just lock up the things he doesn't want damaged, like Flitwick always does," Scorpius muttered. Albus nodded his agreement.

Professor Irae waved his wand, and the desks neatly stacked themselves along the edges of the room, giving them a nice clear space to duel in the center. Albus and Scorpius stood opposite each other and waited for the rest of the class to pair up.

"So, d'you already know this one too?" Albus asked.

"In theory. I've never tried it before," Scorpius admitted.

"Don't worry, it's not hard. My dad learned it when he was twelve," Albus said, hoping to reassure Scorpius. The super genius rarely had trouble with spells and seemed to take offense at his wand if he had to practice something more than once before performing it perfectly.

Unfortunately, Irae overheard the comment. "Oh, so _sorry_ Mr. Potter. I do hope we're not boring you with our pedestrian fourth year spell work."

"S-sorry sir. That's not how I meant it," Albus mumbled. Scorpius let out an exasperated breath.

"You do realize that whatever it is your celebrity family has taught you, Expelliarmus is usually taught at this level?"

"Er…"

Irae narrowed his eyes. "I thought so. Now watch your tone. If you find my classes dull, you're perfectly welcome to sit them out and relinquish your marks for the day."

"How is that even slightly related to what Albus said?" Scorpius demanded, unable to keep quiet. Albus smacked a hand to his face, while their housemates let out excited murmurs. All eyes turned to the confrontation. "Albus was just telling me that the spell's not hard, he wasn't questioning your teaching. Although if you're insecure about your abilities, that would certainly explain your interpretation of what Albus said."

Irae looked livid. Albus wouldn't have been surprised if he hexed the two of them right then and there.

"Change of plans. Everyone stand aside while Potter and I give a demonstration," Irae ordered.

Albus threw a withering glare Scorpius' way. The other teen was so busy fueling a hate filled look towards their professor that he didn't notice. Scorpius did stand down and walk to the edge of the classroom though, arms huffily crossed over his chest, while Albus nervously stepped into the center. He could feel his classmates watching him, all showing obvious amusement or derision, and he wanted desperately to wipe his sweaty palms on his robes.

"I think you'll find, Mr. Potter, that the disarming spell, though basic, becomes much more difficult to perform when confronted with an experienced wizard who isn't your Mummy or Daddy going soft on you."

Albus was tempted to point out that his older brother and cousins had also helped him learn the spell as quickly as possible, and if Professor Irae thought _they_ were going easy on him then he must be an only child. He knew better than to say any of that, and only nodded while his face flushed.

Now he was faced with a choice. Albus was pretty sure he was still quick enough to disarm his professor before Irae could disarm him, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea to humiliate the man further in front of the class. It might be better to just take a dive, let the students laugh at him a bit, and let Professor Irae have his victory.

Unfortunately, Irae didn't give him enough time to think everything through, and when he started to fire a spell that very much _wasn't_ the disarming spell Albus' way, he reacted by instinct. He deflected Irae's jinx in a smooth bit of wandwork so that it hit Darius Comber, threw up a quick shield charm, and then disarmed his startled professor.

Irae's wand sailed through the air in a graceful arc and landed in Albus' outstretched hand. He caught it without thinking, having performed everything by instinct. His parents had drilled the 'deflect, shield, disarm' combo into him since he was a toddler. Sadly, they'd never taught him how to deal with an embarrassed, mean spirited and irate teacher.

"Er…s-sorry." Albus meekly held out professor Irae's wand. It looked again like he might be in danger of a serious hexing, so Albus took comfort in the fact that he already had a shield charm up. However, Irae only waved his wand at Darius, who was doing some painful looking contortions and snapped "Finite Incantatem."

Albus swallowed nervously.

"Detention Potter. Detention, and ten points from Slytherin for showing off."

That set off cries of dismay from the other students. "He wasn't showing off! You attacked him and he responded in a reasonable manner!" Scorpius yelled, haughty voice standing out from the other whining.

Irae whipped around and screeched at Scorpius. "I don't suppose you'd like to join him Mr. Malfoy!"

Albus turned pleading eyes at Scorpius and shook his head, mentally chanting 'keep quiet, keep quiet, keep quiet,' but it didn't help.

"I've half a mind to report you for this! This is ridiculous! Not only are you treating Albus horridly, but you're wasting time! We haven't actually learned anything all lesson, except what an awful teacher you are!"

Needless to say, they never got around to practicing Expelliarmus.

Scorpius was seething when they left the classroom. "I can't believe him!"

"It's not like it's the first time it's happened," Albus said, heaving a long suffering sigh. "I wish he'd just leave me alone."

"Well he's never going to if you roll over and take it from him," Scorpius said. "Though you were better about it today than you usually are. Well done, showing him up like that."

"I wasn't trying to show him up!" Albus insisted. "My parents are just nutters about defense! I do it all on instinct. Jamey and Lily are the same way."

"And yet they get about half the detentions from Irae that you do," Scorpius observed.

"I know. I don't get it. It's not a house thing. If he favors anyone, it's the Ravenclaws. He just hates me, I guess."

"Actually, I think he's a little bit afraid of your siblings," Scorpius said thoughtfully. "I mean think about it. He's a tiny little man, and I think your brother grew a foot over the summer. He's gotten awfully muscular since he finally made the Quidditch team too. And that temper. I think if Irae tried to humiliate James in front of the class, James would drop his wand and punch him in the face."

Albus couldn't stifle a giggle with that image running through his mind. "Well why don't you think he hassles Lily? She's awfully tiny if brute aggression is what's saving James."

"Yes, but she's got that wiry crazy combination that keeps people from wanting to mess with her," Scorpius said decisively. Albus didn't argue since it was perfectly true. He'd been careful around his little sister since she'd turned six. By that point, she'd figured out some fighting strategies that suited her small size and impressive agility.

"Well, we never did get around to learning proper shielding and disarming today Albus S. Potter, and I consider it entirely your fault," Scorpius said, adopting an imperious sort of tone.

Albus jogged down the stairs after him, opening his mouth to protest before he caught the amused twinkle in Scorpius' eyes.

Scorpius was walking fast on purpose. With his long strides he usually outmatched Albus anyway, and if he power walked then the other boy had to jog to keep up and wasn't able to participate in conversation as freely. Albus was almost a head shorter than Scorpius, and even Rose was a good three inches taller than him (though that might partly be her frizzy auburn hair). He couldn't wait for puberty to narrow that gap.

"I don't like you getting in the way of my studies you know," Scorpius continued, turning a fast corner down another hallway.

"A thousand apologies for the inconvenience," Albus panted.

"Spending time properly learning shielding and disarming may be a luxury to you, but not everyone in this school has grown up knowing it. Clearly, you'll have to make it up to me."

"And how will I do that?" Albus asked. They'd stopped in front of a familiar stretch of wall by a very familiar tapestry.

"I think some one-on-one tutoring ought to suffice." Scorpius passed over the stretch of wall three times and a door appeared. He held it open for Albus, who bowed to him before walking into the Room of Requirement. As soon as Scorpius walked in and closed the door behind him, it latched itself locked.

Scorpius' version of the room was filled with bookshelves of course, but there were also three orderly desks, three cushy armchairs, a roaring fireplace with three sets of slippers on the hearth, and a sofa with a chess board ready to go just in front of it. In addition to these normal details, he'd added an elegant little table next to the chess set, with three dinner settings identical to the ones on the house tables in the Great Hall.

The Room of Requirement wasn't much of a secret anymore. Not only had it been famously used during the second Dark War, but the children of the DA had all come through Hogwarts having heard about the room, which they not only made use of themselves but showed to their friends. Finding it unoccupied could be challenging, but it was usually free during mealtimes.

Rose joined them after about five minutes, one of the only students who was allowed in through the latched door. She eyed the place settings. "Do you think that'll work?"

"I hope so," Scorpius said. "I don't see why it shouldn't. I know perfectly well that you can't magically create food, but you can create a destination _for_ food, and I'm pretty sure the house elves aren't terribly discriminating about which plates they fill."

She sat down on the sofa and eyed her watch. "Well we'll find out in a minute or two. If they don't fill up, I'll just run downstairs and nick us some dinner. You boys can hold the room."

"Sounds like a plan."

The plates did end up filling, and the friends spent a moment congratulating Scorpius on his cleverness. "Excellent! Now we only really need to leave the room for lessons," Rose enthused.

While they were eating, Scorpius filled Rose in on what had happened during the Syltherins' Defense class.

She snorted. "Oh Albus…you had to know how Irae would take you saying that!"

"I didn't think he was listening to us! He was dividing everyone else into pairs," Albus grumbled.

"But he _always_ listens to you," Scorpius pointed out. "That man has it out for you."

"He's not terribly fond of me either, but I've managed to avoid getting on his nerves," Rose said. "I bet now he'll be watching me to see if I have any trouble with disarming tomorrow morning. I'll have to pretend it's difficult."

"That's another thing! Uncle Ron and Auntie Hermione have been teaching you defense since you were a toddler too, but he never gives you a hard time or says that you're upstaging him," Albus pointed out.

"Well yeah, but my Mum and Dad weren't as thorough as your parents. They just taught me and Hugo a few things that they think we need," Rose explained. "I mean think about it, not only was your dad 'The Chosen One', but then after the war he went on to become an Auror. So he's _always_ around the most dangerous stuff there is. It's natural he over prepared you. Still makes Irae a jerk though."

"Mm hm." Albus moodily stabbed at his mashed potatoes. "I don't like being the center of attention, and I hate when he takes points from Slytherin. Everyone else hates me enough without all of that."

Rose looked at her watch. "Well, I'd better run."

"Run?" Scorpius asked, visibly disappointed. "But we've got the room all set for the night."

Rose smiled at him and shook her head. "I've already made plans with Lily. Sorry lads, you're on your own tonight."

"But Rose…" Scorpius scowled, as she dashed off without listening to his appeal.

Albus felt an uncomfortable squirming sensation in his stomach, watching the object of his affection pouting after being blown off by his cousin. It took him a second to pin down the squirming as jealousy.

"Well that's just fantastic," Scorpius grumbled. He flopped onto the couch and crossed his arms, looking surlier than he had even in Defense.

"You know, it's not like we never see her," Albus put forth in a small voice he barely recognized. Scorpius arched an eyebrow, and he wished he hadn't said anything. That wish, however, didn't stop him from continuing. "I mean, we saw her this morning at breakfast, and last night-"

"Last night _you_ saw her. I was stuck at Quidditch, remember?" Scorpius sighed. "I'm sorry Albie, I don't mean to whine at you...it's just that there are so few people in my life that I can really communicate with. Rose is one of them, and now thanks to circumstances beyond my control I've barely seen her all year. And in a month and a half, we'll leave for break and I'll be trapped with my parents, where I won't be able to have decent conversations with anyone."

"Oh." So Scorpius didn't enjoy talking to Albus then. "I-I'm sorry Scorpius."

"It's alright, it's just...do you think Rose is avoiding me?"

Albus started fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. He wished Scorpius would stop asking about Rose. He didn't want to be jealous of her, but the fact of the matter was, by virtue of being born the societally approved gender, she was much more likely to have a romantic relationship with Scorpius than Albus was, and even though he realized his friend was probably going to start dating sooner than Albus was, he didn't think he could take it if Scorpius dated his cousin.

But apparently Albus was too stupid for Scorpius.

He mumbled something barely audible that Scorpius appeared to interpret however he wanted. He moodily stared into space for a few minutes while Albus forced down the rest of his dinner, and when he spoke again he was more cheerful.

"Alright then, enough of that. Are you ready to teach me disarming?" Scorpius asked.

Albus swallowed a mouthful of food and clumsily wiped at his face. "Er, sure. Wait, like right now?"

"No Potter, in detention tomorrow night. I'm sure Irae'd love it."

Albus rolled his eyes, but dutifully got up and went to the center of the room, holding his wand aloft. "It's really not that difficult. Just be careful to bring your wand down neatly when you say the incantation. Some duelers like to show off and try to look flashy, but efficiency is way more important. You want to keep your movements as precise and controlled as possible."

"Makes sense. Is the pronunciation particularly finicky for this one?" Scorpius asked.

Albus shook his head. "Usually when you're disarming someone, you're in some kind of excitement. Jamey came at me once with this horrid cursed cauldron that Dad had confiscated off of some nutter in London when I was eight, and I think I yelled something like 'Espressolurgo' at him. Wandless and all, and it still worked. When we start learning silent spellcasting, I'm going to start with Expelliarmus."

"Makes sense. Espressolurgo, really?"

"The cauldron was covered with spikes made out of human bones that were caked with layer upon layer of dried blood and bits of hair. I thought Mum was going to _kill_ Dad when she found out he'd left something like that in the house. Jamey was grounded for a month, and he had to stay home when we went into Diagon Alley to visit Uncle George's shop," Albus rambled.

"Fascinating. Shall I try and disarm you now?" Scorpius asked dryly. Face coloring again, Albus nodded. Scorpius narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to remember Albus' positioning during class. He altered his stance, then brought his arm down sharply as he authoritatively said the incantation. Albus' wand was pulled out of his hand and flew neatly into Scorpius'.

He grinned, surprised but pleased that Scorpius had studied him so carefully. It was flattering, and made him feel a tiny bit hopeful. "I knew you'd get it the first try."

"Competent teachers are the best," Scorpius returned with a wink. He tossed Albus' wand back to him. "Let's go again and see who wins."

"Oh come on Scorpius, you know it's going to be you."

"You're the golden boy when it comes to Defense. Let's-TARANTALLEGRA!"

"ESPRAGLIARMOO!" Albus yelped, after deflecting and shielding himself. He glared at his smug looking companion. "Please don't."

"Espragliarmoo? That's better than…what was that first one again?"

"Espressolurgo and please shut up about it."

* * *

><p>Teddy was straining under the weight of heavy, ancient books as he made his way out of the office. He bumped into Harry on his way into the lift.<p>

"Need a hand with those?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, sure." Teddy handed Harry half the books in his arms and shifted the bag on his back so that his other books settled more comfortably. They'd been jabbing right into his spine, but he'd been afraid to sort the bag out before, lest he drop the ones in his arms.

"Maenad's keeping you busy, huh?" Harry observed, referring to Teddy's boss.

"Yep. It's okay though. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks again for helping me get my dream job God-Dad."

Harry smiled. "I just opened a few doors for you. You did all the real work."

Teddy didn't believe that for a moment, but he allowed his modest godfather to drop the subject.

Teddy just happened to have been the youngest Unspeakable to ever work in the department of Mysteries, and he knew exactly why. He'd made use of Harry and Draco's continued rivalry to get the most impressive references ever submitted on a Ministry of Magic resume.

He still wasn't exactly close with his grandmother's family, but they interacted enough for Draco to realize that he could tick Harry off by superficially bonding with his godson and occasionally stealing some of Harry's thunder. It had started when Teddy was eight, and had proven itself really awkward. However, by the time he graduated Hogwarts he decided to make it work for him.

First Harry had given him a reference, followed shortly by about three quarters of the Auror office. Teddy casually dropped that into conversation the next time he and his grandmother had dinner with the Malfoys, and suddenly Draco and several of his old-guard, pureblood friends were offering references as well. Then Harry got Kingsley Shacklebolt, former Minister for Magic and also former head Auror, so Draco got the current Minister for Magic and three members of the Wizengamut.

It kept going until Madame Maenad, head of the Department of Mysteries, really had no choice but to take on the fresh faced eighteen year old, rightout of Hogwarts and brilliant, but inexperienced. Almost five years later he was still being hazed by his coworkers, and given assignments no one else wanted to prove he was serious about his job. There were still mutterings that the other Unspeakables were babysitting the godson of the Chosen One.

Teddy figured he might actually prove himself after another five years of impeccable work. At least, he hoped so…

"How goes the Auror office?" Teddy asked.

"It goes. Little slow lately, but there's nothing wrong with that. I know I can't ask about your work, but what are you up to more generally? Any plans?"

"Heading home tonight. I've got too much work to do much else," Teddy answered with a sigh. Harry looked disappointed as well. He knew Harry and Ginny were worried about him; he'd had a series of bad breakups and didn't really have any friends his own age. It was tempting to lie to them and say he had some kind of active social life, if only to avoid the pitying gazes, but Teddy never could lie to Harry or his wife.

"Well feel free to come by if you get the chance," Harry offered with a warm smile. "With all the kids at school, Ginny and I could use some company at the dinner table."

"Will do. Thanks." Teddy took the books back as the lift reached the atrium. He waved goodbye to Harry as best he could around his burdens, then headed off for the exit. Harry was off to apparate to the suburbs, but Teddy lived in the city.

He almost walked into someone before he noticed them, what with the stack of books taking up his attention. Teddy still had to stop short, and he dropped half the books in the process, spilling quite a few onto the other man's feet. "Oh, sorry!" Teddy gasped. Then he bit back a groan of displeasure.

Of course he'd walk smack into his most recent ex.

"Hello Teddy," Iggy greeted awkwardly. They both bent to retrieve the dropped books at the same time and managed to smash their heads together.

"Bugger," Teddy hissed. Iggy gently touched Teddy's forehead where they'd bumped, but pulled his hand back as though he'd been burned after the glare Teddy sent him for the casual contact.

You just didn't do that after ditching someone out of the blue.

"Just…just getting off work?" Iggy asked.

"Yep. Um…hey, what are you doing here? Are you working at the Ministry too now?" Teddy asked, a knot of worry sinking in his stomach. They'd only broken up a couple weeks ago, and it had not been a pleasant process. He didn't want to chance running into his ex every workday.

Why couldn't he ever peacefully end a relationship? First the mess with Victoire, then Iggy. If he ever managed to stumble his way into a relationship again, he'd need to make sure he dated someone at least as sane as they were pretty.

And Iggy was _pretty_. Long strawberry blond hair, creamy complexion and thoughtful green eyes. He was also rather tall, and had strong, comforting arms. Sometimes Teddy dreamt of the man's embrace, and when he woke up alone in bed he felt a hollowness that followed him the entire day.

"N-no, I'm not…just meeting a friend," Iggy choked out. They both looked relieved at his words.

"Oh. Well I won't keep you."

Iggy helped him restack the book in his arms, offered him one more nervous smile, and then all but fled. Teddy watched him go, curious about who this friend might be. He saw Iggy approach a short man with prematurely silver hair, but he didn't recognize him. If that was Iggy's new beau, he'd really traded down.

Oh what was Teddy thinking. Iggy was supposedly straight now, so the man couldn't possibly be his boyfriend. He shook his head, wondering how long it would take for Iggy to realize his mistake. Whenever he did, Teddy wouldn't be taking him back.

Jerk.

He hugged his armload of books to his chest and continued on his way home.


End file.
